Players that pre-order Battlefield 3 will get free items in Battlefield Play4Free, according to a new post on the Battlefield blog . The bonus unlocks include a bright yellow beret, and more importantly, a Battlefield 3 Edition 870 Combat shotgun, described as being "one of the most effective close-quarter weapons in history."

The offer applies to those who pre-order the game through the EA store . The powerful shotgun is balanced out by the fluorescent beret, which ought to make it much easier for other players to shoot you in the head.

Battlefield Play4Free is free to download and play now from the Battlefield Play4Free site . Battlefield 3, meanwhile, won't be out until November. If you can't wait that long, DICE recently released 12 minutes of in-game footage . You'll find an image of the unlockable Battlefield Play4Free items below